


Do Not Falter (There's a Star Ahead)

by LadyLondonderry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, M/M, Nesting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 17:13:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17145764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLondonderry/pseuds/LadyLondonderry
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and every single one of Louis' family members are crowded inside his little flat. Really, what more could he ask for on his birthday?The present he never knew he wanted - in the form of an omega from his past - might just make this his most memorable Christmas.





	Do Not Falter (There's a Star Ahead)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QuickedWeen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuickedWeen/gifts).



> Molly my love, you deserve so much more than this little fic, and I would write you five hundred thousand words if I could, but for today this will have to do. 
> 
> Merry Christmas, here is some Christmas fluff just for you.

There’s a blanket of white that’s settled peacefully across the town, muffling and softening the atmosphere. Street lights and Christmas lights illuminate the silent streets, and snow falls peacefully.

It’s Christmas Eve and everything is rather perfect.

Inside Louis’s basement flat, the radiators below the windows are banging and popping in their attempt to keep everyone warm. There’s a fat tree in the corner that takes up more space than his living room realistically has to give, and the lights hung on every wall give the place a festive brightness.

There are also probably more people crowded into his little living room than would pass a fire code.

There Louis’s mum sits on the couch, along with his stepdad and the two older twins Daisy and Phoebe. On the loveseat sit Lottie and Fizzy, leaving no spare seats for Ernest and Doris, at three years old only just remembering the magic of last Christmas. That’s perfectly fine by them, as they would much rather sit on the floor and gaze in awe at the presents piled high under the tree. Most of them aren’t to be opened until tomorrow, when they’ll be shucked down the road to Jay’s house, but for tonight everyone has gathered at Louis’ because of the smaller pile in front just for him, for his birthday. 

Louis  _ loves _ being the centre of attention; it’s his favourite place to be. This is the best night of the year for him, and he doesn’t think that there’s anything that could make him happier than he already is. 

“Come  _ on, _ Louis,” Fizzy says, sipping sparkling apple juice from her champagne glass. “We’re going to be here for hours if you don’t get a move on!”

“Maybe that’s what I want,” Louis says. “All my beautiful family. Worshipping me.”

“Alright you two,” Jay says. “Louis dear I love you like my firstborn son-”

“I  _ am _ your firstborn son-”

“But if you don’t start tearing into those I will have to take the young ones back home and you’ll be opening presents all on your lonesome.”

“Alright alright,” Louis says, grabbing the first box. He’s only torn the wrapping off of one side, however, when the doorbell rings. 

“Who could that  _ possibly _ be at this hour?” Jay asks.

“Nobody we want to talk to,” Lottie says. “It’s Christmas Eve! Probably a serial killer.”

“Don’t say serial killer in front of the kids,” Louis says, standing and extracting himself from the presents. “They’ll get  _ ideas.” _

“You’re terribly morbid,” Jay says. “How did I raise such a sarcastic child.”

“You love me,” Louis says. “Be back in a minute!”

He walks down the hallway to the front door, unlocking it and opening it just enough to see who’s outside.

It’s not someone he ever would have expected.

“Harry?” Louis asks, opening the door the rest of the way.

Harry blinks at him, eyes wide like he wasn’t even expecting to see Louis at his own house. “Louis…” he breathes out, something akin to relief in his voice.

God it’s been - it’s been  _ years, _ hasn’t it? They’d shared a room their first two years of university, but then Harry had gone to study abroad in France, and Louis hadn’t heard from him since, besides  the occasional instagram picture.

He seems taller now, broader in the shoulders. His hair is shorter and darker but Christ if it doesn’t suit him. 

“What can I—  Oh gosh, come in,” Louis says, because Harry’s shaking, clearly freezing in his thin coat. 

Harry shuffles into the entranceway and Louis closes the door behind him, but as soon as he does, he realises the strong scent filling the space between them. Louis barely stops himself from taking a deep breath - even breathing normally, he recognizes the scent that he came to associate with Harry all those years ago. It’s warm and familiar, but also stronger than he had ever smelled on Harry in the past.

“Oh,” Harry says, looking back at louis. He’s hunched in on himself, looking uncomfortable in his own skin. “Oh, you- you have an omega here. I’m— I’m sorry, I should have- I shouldn’t have assumed, I should go.”

Harry stinks to high heaven of pheromones, to the point where Louis is having a little trouble concentrating. He’s not quite got his thoughts organised yet, but he  _ knows _ the wrong option is letting Harry go back out into the cold alone. “No…” Louis leans himself against the door. “My family’s over, Harry. They’re all omegas, that’s all.” He reaches out to put a reassuring hand on him, but then pulls back— why is Harry here? Should he be worried?

“What’s going on?” Louis asks. “Are you in trouble? What do you need?”

Harry’s still shaking, and Louis is realising it’s not from the cold at all. “I- I-” he stutters. “I’m sorry, I needed… somewhere safe? I’m so sorry, I just- I’m not going home to my parents until tomorrow but something went wrong with my suppressants and- my roommate is still home and he’s an  _ alpha _ so I couldn’t- I couldn’t stay there-”

He’s getting teary, and Louis has to resist the urge to wrap Harry up in his arms and hold him still, make him feel safe and protected. But he’s clearly not in a normal headspace, and that might not be good in the end.

“Harry,” Louis says, but Harry seems lost in his own thoughts by now. “Harry,” Louis says again, with an alpha timbre in his voice that he  _ never _ uses. It gets Harry’s attention though, his big green eyes meeting Louis’. 

“Harry, Love,” Louis says. “You know I’m an alpha though, don’t you? Just like your roommate?”

Harry nods, squeezing his eyes shut. “Yes,” he says voice small. “Yes, I’m sorry. I can- I can go-”

“No, Love,” Louis says, feeling like he’s finally getting a grasp on the situation. “No, I don’t want that. I just want to know why you’re here, that’s all.”

Harry twists his hands together, not meeting Louis’s eyes. “I needed to be- I need to be somewhere  _ safe,” _ he all but whispers, and-

Oh.

“Of course,” Louis says, and this time he does reach out, putting a reassuring hand on Harry’s lower back, and watches in awe as Harry seems to relax. “Love, of course- you can always come to me.” 

Harry seems to get smaller with every word Louis says, like his muscles are beginning to relax. “I-” he stutters again. “I need to make, um. I need a…” He trails off, seeming hopeful this time that Louis know what he needs. 

Thankfully, Louis thinks that he does. 

“Tell you what,” Louis says. “I’m going to bring you back to my room, and then I’ll say goodnight to my family and I’ll come find you, is that okay?”

Harry nods, and his eyes are so, so green. All those nights spent sharing a room with Harry are rushing back to Louis now. He was always so composed then, clearly on suppressants the way his scent was just lightly in the air, so different from his overpowering scent tonight. He smells amazing, and it’s waking back up that feeling that Louis had thought he had successfully buried so deep. 

“Come on, Love,” he says, putting a hand more securely on the small of Harry’s back. Harry shivers at his touch, and Louis thinks he must be only a day or two away from going into full blown heat at this rate. 

He leads Harry down the hall and around the corner - his room is right at the end, but they  _ do  _ have to walk past the entrance to the living room, where his  _ entire family  _ is currently sitting and also  _ almost definitely _ heard everything that he and Harry have been saying. 

He keeps his eyes forward as he walks past the living room with Harry and sends out vibes that he hopes convey  _ do not DO NOT do not say anything. _

Apparently it works.

He shuts the door behind himself after they enter his bedroom, and thanks his lucky stars that for whatever reason his mum has pounded into him from the beginning that any time guests are coming over he should clean his room, even if there’s no reason to think anyone would ever come in.

“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” he says to Harry, who seems to be taking  _ very _ deep breaths. “I’ve got more blankets in the closet over there, and there’s a few pillows that I think have ended up under the bed. 

“Thank you,” Harry whispers, and Louis’ heart melts. He stands on the balls of his feet and presses a kiss to Harry’s forehead.

“Of course,” Louis says. “I’ll be right back, I promise.”

He leaves the room feeling like every molecule in his body is rebelling; telling him to stop in his tracks, go back to that omega that clearly needs him.

He enters the living room to find his family already packing up their things.

“We’re going to get going,” Jay says coming over and embracing Louis in a hug. 

“Yeah, we know when we’re not wanted,” Lottie says, giving her brother a scalding look. “You go ahead and take care of that  _ omega _ in there.”

Fizzy snorts and rolls her eyes at him. Louis is thankful that Phoebe and Daisy, at least, seem too wrapped up in their phones together to notice what the rest of his family are implying.

He gives hugs to each of them (in the back of his mind worrying that their scents on his clothing is going to stress Harry out, but at least they’re family so maybe it won’t be too bad). 

Bless his family and their ability to clear out fast.

After closing and locking the door behind the last of them, he turns and practically runs back to his room.

Slowing down and entering at a more normal pace, he closes the door behind him and looks around. The room is dark, with the only light coming in through the high windows looking out on the street above. 

“Harry?” Louis calls, feeling worry seep in. Where could he possibly have gone?

The pillows are missing from on top of his bed, and upon closer inspection Louis realises that his blanket is gone too. He walks around to the other side of the bed and bends down on the off chance Harry has smushed himself underneath, but he’s not there either. 

Then it dawns on him - the closet. 

“Harry,” Louis rasps, knocking softly on the door to his closet. It’s not a large one, by any means. 

The door creaks open, and Louis takes that as an invitation, carefully opening it the rest of the way.

And there Harry is, on the floor of his closet, surrounded by his blanket, his pillows, and it looks like just about every jumper he has, having been pulled off the hangers. 

Harry blinks up at him. “Hello,” he says. “Um, is this okay?”

He looks much more  _ with it _ thank he did even just before Louis had left him. Clearly even the opportunity to nest someplace that feels safe has helped him recover some. 

“Of course it is,” Louis quickly reassures. “Do you need more? I can get the blanket off of the back of the couch, or the bath towels? I don’t think it’s been  _ terribly _ long since I last washed them.”

Harry shakes his head, but then tentatively stops and nods instead. “The- the blanket on the couch, please?”

“Sure,” Louis says. “I’ll be right back.”

He closes the closet door and then retrieves the blanket with all haste that he thinks is appropriate when one has an omega nesting in their closet.

“Here you go,” he says when he returns, and Harry takes it, holding it up to his face and sniffing it before apparently deciding it’s satisfactory and arranging it up where his feet probably are, buried under pillows.

“Thank you,” Harry says, absentmindedly kneading the materials under his fingers. “I’m sorry about- interrupting your family Christmas.”

“Nonsense,” Louis says, sitting on the floor in front of the open closet. “For one thing it’s my birthday, not Christmas. For another, those presents will be there later.” He indicates the blankets spilling out of the closet. “May I?” he asks.

Harry nods, watching Louis’ hands like a hawk as Louis leans forward to tuck the blankets in, neatening them and  making the nest more secure. 

“But Love,” Louis says. “I do need to know… a bit more, if you don’t mind. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other and honestly I’m a little flummoxed as to how you even found my address.”

Harry doesn’t stop kneading the blankets, but his hands get a little more frantic in their movements. “I- you don’t hide your location on SnapChat,” he says. “You should really do that.”

Louis snorts. He laughs. “Oh my god,” he says. “I only downloaded that app because Lottie made me, I don’t know how anything works on it.”

“I-” Harry takes a breath. “I just, when I realised the suppressants had gone wrong, all I could think of was that I needed somewhere safe for-” he drops his voice as if it’s something to be ashamed of. “For nesting?”

“Of course,” Louis affirms, trying to sound as calming as possible. “You should feel safe nesting, it’s important.”

“My- I dated my roommate for about two months, almost a year ago. And we’re better off as friends, and that’s fine, but,” Harry gulps. “He didn’t like the omega stuff. The nesting. Didn’t like it from the beginning, even when it was just a little every once in a while to get me through my, you know, time of the month.” Harry shrugs, eyes downcast, and Louis doesn’t know this roommate alpha but he knows he hates him. 

“Nesting is something natural,” Louis assures him. “It’s something good. It’s how you feel happy and safe.”

Harry shrugs, but a small smile plays at his lips. “I mean,” he says. “I did break up with him.”

“I’m glad you did,” Louis growls, and maybe a bit of his alpha timbre sneaks in there as well. 

“But so-” Harry continues, “I needed somewhere safe? And home didn’t feel safe, like, not  _ dangerous  _ or anything, but-” 

“I understand,” Louis assures him. “You can stay here as long as you need, don’t even worry about it.”

Harry sighs, and it sounds like stress leaving him. “Thank you,” he says. Then he tenses again, and Louis wants to hold him, press on his tender spots and seep that anxiety out of him. 

“What is it?” he asks. 

“I was just, um,” Harry pauses. “Would you like to- you can join, if you’d like.”

“Are you sure?” Louis asks, knowing how big of a deal this is. Even his step dad was rarely allowed in his mum’s nests. Omegas nests are  _ extremely _ personal, even if they are filled with things that smell like their alpha.

Harry nods, and starts rearranging the blankets around him to make enough space for louis to wedge in, which he does with a feeling of awe.

“I’ll feel good enough to leave in a day or two,” Harry whispers, like the intimate space they now occupy is sanctified, holy. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think you would ever find out about my crush and I think this is about the worst way for it to happen. I didn’t think I’d ever even see you again after university.”

Louis laughs, softly. “Harry, there is  _ nothing _ I’d be more happy to learn about,” he says. “And there is no way better to have learned about it. It’s a wonderful Christmas present.”

They haven’t even touched on the subject of his heat, which Louis knows is going to happen in the next few days just from the way he smells. They haven’t talked about what’s going to happen on Christmas morning even, if Harry will need to contact his parents, or whether he’ll try to force Louis to attend his own family’s Christmas (it won’t work). 

But Harry’s eyes are growing heavy, and Louis reaches up a hand to smooth the curls away from his forehead. He’s already beginning to feel cramped in this small space, but he won’t dare move until Harry’s deep enough asleep, and even then he doesn’t plan on leaving Harry for longer than it takes to get snacks for when he wakes up.

He smells warm and safe, and Louis’ alpha purrs inside, accepting the omega that’s cocooned in his scent. 

“Go ahead and sleep,” Louis says, as Harry leans against the wall of the closet, looking like a weary traveler come to finally rest. “I’ll be here in the morning, I promise.”

And he keeps that promise. Sometimes things unexpected appear at the right moment. Sometimes people pine for years after the ones they love and nothing comes of it, and sometimes fate puts all the pieces together.

Harry is the Christmas present he didn’t know he needed, and one better than he ever could have imagined. 

**Author's Note:**

> Fic post is [here](http://londonfoginacup.tumblr.com/post/181491046439/do-not-falter-theres-a-star-head) if you'd be so inclined!


End file.
